


Missing you hurts

by AmidalasCouture



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:33:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23235511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmidalasCouture/pseuds/AmidalasCouture
Summary: Obi-Wan was sent on a mission while his Padawan stayed at the temple.
Kudos: 30





	Missing you hurts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dirkygoodness](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dirkygoodness/gifts).



> Here is your birthday gift!  
> Have fun!

Anakin feels like he has been grounded. He is seventeen and some odd months old and the council had decreed he had to stay at the temple while his master is gallivanting through the Galaxy. Without him.

It did not matter that this was his own fault.

Who knew that a broken leg would take so long to heal. ' _ You need physical therapy, Anakin.',  _ his ass. When he was six and had broken his arm in a pod race crash, Watto had still made him work and he did the job just fine. Some stupid broken bone is not keeping him from being a Jedi. He had the force and while yes, Obi-Wan was sent to a possibly dangerous mission - that is if the negotiations between the two factions fail - it was not given.

But Obi-Wan is the master and he is just the Padawan and the Jedi Council is well that. Since in the food chain he was at the bottom, he had to comply. Though that necessarily does not mean he has to enjoy it.

Standing in the training hall, Anakin let his anger out on a training dummy. This is not the most Jedi like behavior, but Anakin did not care. He needed to let out his emotions. He was not cleared for lightsaber training yet per se, but as it was late in the night, no one else was here.

Focussed on his task at hand, he doesn't notice he isn't alone anymore.

"For someone so frustrated by my absence, you don't seem to notice me now, Padawan."

The crisp coruscanti accent of one Obi-Wan Kenobi resounded through the training hall. Surprised, Anakin doesn't manage to defend himself from the next attack of the training dummy and got knocked on his ass. 

"Kriff.", cursed Anakin in a painful yelp.

The training dummy stopped it's motion, returning to its standard position and deactivated. Sitting on the ground, Anakin rubs over his injured leg in a useless motion.

___

Obi-Wan watched his Padawan with some worry etched on his face and a faint bit of guilt churning in his stomach. Of course, Anakin would disregard all warnings and train with a broken bone, but thinking about it Obi-Wan would have done the same back then. 

He sighed under Anakin's glare. Of course, Anakin was neither happy about his absence or his presence like many at that age. That the other was happy at all Obi-Wan only could feel throw their bond and the way his eyes twinkled close to tears. 

Always too emotional, too attached. Despite Anakin's protests, he helped him up, watching a blush of embarrassment dust Anakin's cheeks. It made Obi-Wan smile if his Padawan could be angry and embarrassed then his stumble did not aggravate the wound too much.

"How..", Anakin started.

"How.," Obi-Wan spoke at the same time.

They both stopped at the same time. Anakin looked away, not speaking any longer. It was often like this, either he had to comment everything or closed up and nothing could get him to open up. This may be one of those missed chances. 

"How is your leg?", finished Obi-Wan his question. 

" It's fine.", was the short answer he received. 

Obi-Wan sighed. "Let's go back to our quarters. You should let it rest."

Anakin did not say anything but put away his lightsaber and followed him, silently, steeping in his own thoughts. He had even closed off the bond, leaving Obi-Wan guessing what this about this time. They would have to talk once they were back in their rooms. 

Their quarters were pure chaos, but Obi-Wan never expected anything different to come home to. He could hear the door closing and before Obi-Wan could think of anything to say, maybe something witty to break Anakin out of his shell, arms wrapped around him. 

Anakin had pulled him into a tight hug. The boy was now taller than him, his embrace engulfing Obi-Wan and making it impossible to escape. Obi-Wan for a moment thought about trying, but even he could not deny that it did not feel nice. It felt...really like home. 

" _ Anakin _ .", Obi-Wan tried. After all, this was attachment, childish clinginess that still stuck to the other. 

"I missed you, Master."

The 'I was afraid' was left unsaid, but it hung in the air as if spoken. And Obi-Wan would lie if he said he did not miss his Padawan.missions without him were not the same and not in the sense that everything went downhill. He did not need Anakin's talent for that. 

"I'm back now, aren't I? I missed you as well, Padawan."

At that Anakin seemed to relax his embrace. It was better this way, cause the way Anakin breathed into his neck. It was better not to think about it. Or about the way he just wanted to sink into the embrace. 

' _ I'm too attached.' _

And with that Obi-Wan stepped out of the embrace, whirling around to look at his Padawan. Now that he had escaped the embrace, Anakin's arms hung uselessly at his side, his fingers fidgeting with the hems of his robes. 

"It's just, who got your back when I'm not around, Master?"

The force would be the natural answer, but Obi-Wan knew that was not the answer Anakin wanted. And then it struck Obi-Wan, maybe a bit of honesty would help placate him. Maybe a bit of honesty was selfish, but Obi-Wan was not as perfect a Jedi as they made him out.

"Usually I would agree, but you are hurt Anakin. I would worry too much about you than the mission."

____

Anakin watched Obi-Wan like a hawk. He knew his gaze was intense, people had told him before that he sometimes stares like he could dismantle someone to the core, leave them bare to the world. 

In a way a Jedi could. The force allowed one to look deeper than a normal person. Obi-Wan never wavered under his gaze. He was the tidebreaker to Anakin's raging sea. 

Anakin sighed. Anger was not becoming of a Jedi, but he could not help feel slighted at the words. Yes, the rational part of him told him that Obi-Wan cared, that he just wants the best for him. But Anakin's ears only heard 'You hold me back’ which sounded strangely like the Chancellor whispering in his ear. He shuddered and caught himself.

“I..had a dream.”, Anakin admitted, worrying his lip. Should he really tell him? But it was out now, he could not take it back. He hated that he was such a rollercoaster of emotions. Obi-Wan looked at him, the intensity of his eyes suddenly unbearable that Anakin averted his own.

“You were hurt and I was not there and I hated that.”

“ _ Anakin _ ..”, Obi-Wan started in that voice. He had a certain way of saying his name that made Anakin instantly feel embarrassed. He felt small even though by now he had grown taller than Obi-Wan and awaited to be childed. He already heard it in his head, the ‘A Jedi should not be attached’ and the ‘Future is always in motion’. Every lesson ingrained in his head that he could repeat them in his sleep backwards. 

Obi-Wan though said neither. “I won’t go, again, if I must not.”

Anakin looked up from there he watched the tiles of their apartment in the temple. On Obi-Wan’s face was nothing but sincerity and understanding, a look that made him seem so soft that Anakin just wanted to hug him again and never let go. He fumbled with his sleeve again, - waiting for the next bit.

“But a Jedi must do his duty.”

There it was, this was what he expected from his master. The same platitudes as always. A scowl appeared on Anakin’s face. Yes, he wanted to be a Jedi. He wanted the duties himself. He had no problem with Obi-Wan facing those duties as well, as long as he was there at his side where he belonged. Together they could face anything.

“I understand, Master.”

_________

Obi-Wan knew that he could not pierce through Anakin’s thick skull. Force knows he has tried. Anakin would always care too much. But hasn’t he been the same? Always unhappy when Qui-Gon went off and did things without him? Especially since he seemed to attract all kind of danger? 

With a sigh, he amended. “Though I can’t fault you for this. We really have a knack to get in trouble.”

A small grin tuck on Anakin's lips and that was so much better. It made Obi-Wan himself smile. Getting rid of his robe, Obi-Wan went to the small kitchenette making himself and Anakin tea.

“Maybe you can tell me about your dream?”, asked Obi-Wan, waiting for the water to heat up.

Anakin settled at the counter. “I did not dream much. At first there was rain. Lots of rain that it clung to me, drenched me to the bone. There was urgency and desperation. An explosion, screams and death. Then it was dark and suffocating. Everything felt so cold and empty and I could hear you calling for me. But I was not there and you were in pain, so much pain.”

The kettle stopped Anakin from saying more. But Obi-Wan paid it no heed, his focus on his shaken Padawan. His own tongue was glued to the rooftop of his mouth, he know that all the words coming to his mind were just Jedi platitudes. Nothing that would help Anakin. 

And then it struck him. Crossing the distance, Obi-Wan hugged his Padawan. “It’s okay.”, he says as Anakin grabs his robe and buries his face in his shoulder. He is hiding his face there, Obi-Wan does nothing to stop it. Instead he strokes his back. He should not do this, but he could not help himself. He could not see Anakin in distress any longer. 

They stayed like this. So long that the water he had heated up already turned cold again.


End file.
